Designing tomorrow's polymers: Enabling multiscale porous structures from high internal phase emulsions via additive manufacturing

Abstract

Polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) have been developed in the 1980s. However, thanks to the advancements in additive manufacturing (AM), they can now be used to produce multiscale porous materials. They were first used in light-based AM setups in 2013 and in extrusion-based AM in 2016. This review aims to analyze the synergy between polyHIPEs and AM technologies and provide a perspective on the use of HIPEs as printing resins/inks. It also demonstrates the potential of polyHIPEs in next-generation applications by creating multifunctional, porous materials capable of meeting the evolving demands of various industries.